The availability of, and access to, computer and communication devices are practical necessities for many in modern society. Many business enterprises, and other, activities require the use of such devices to carry out processing and communication functions.
While, in large part, once limited to academia and to large business enterprises, regular advancements in both communication and computer technologies that underlie such advancements have steadily reduced the costs, while also increasing the capabilities, of such devices. As advancements continue, yet further costs reductions and capacity improvements are likely.
Many communication and computer devices have been developed that are readily, or primarily, used for entertainment, or non-work activities. Such devices, as well as others, also are used for both business enterprise and for entertainment use. And, yet other devices are used primarily for business, and other enterprise, uses. In whatsoever application, such devices regularly send or receive data, herein referred to as data signals, during their operation. Memory devices, for instance, store data. When the data is accessed, the data is retrieved by the sending of data signals that are of values representative of the stored data. And, if data is written to a memory device, the data is provided to the memory device as a data signal of values representative of the data that is to be stored. A device at which data is originated is sometimes referred to as a data source, and the device at which the data signal is provided is sometimes referred to as a data sink. A communication path is required to interconnect the data sink and data source.
Most simply, a conductive wire, or path, is provided together with appropriate connectors by way of which to interconnect the data source and sink. When the data source and sink are positioned in close proximity to one another, such as next to one another, such conventional interconnection is easily made. However, when positioned at greater distances from one another, the interconnection becomes increasingly problematical. For instance, when the devices are located in different rooms, cabling is typically required to be installed to extend through walls separating, and defining, the separate rooms. If the cabling is not installed during construction of the walls, significant extra effort is required to provide the cabling, subsequent to the initial construction. And, in any event, device positioning is sometimes constrained by the locations at which the cabling is positioned, such as by the positioning of wall-mounted connectors formed at cable-ends. While the devices can sometimes be interconnected by way of radio connections, the radio connections are generally more complex, more likely to be bandwidth-constrained, more susceptible to interference, and more susceptible to unauthorized access of the communicated data.
Relatively recently, attention has been directed towards the use of powerlines, used conventionally to provide electrical power, also to communicate data. The dual use of the powerlines both to transmit electrical power and to communicate data is facilitated by modulating the data at a frequency that is different than, i.e., greater than, the frequency at which the electrical power is transmitted. For instance, a HOMEPLUG™ powerline alliance has been established to promulgate interoperability, and other, standards relating to powerline data communications. And, communication and computer devices have been developed, others are undergoing development, and yet other devices shall likely be developed to operate in conformity with the HOMEPLUG™ operating parameters. Use of power cables as communication paths or cables upon which to communicate data is advantageous for the reason that most home and building constructions include in-wall power cabling and multiple power outlets in each room of the home, building, or other construction. Simply by connecting, in an appropriate manner, a communication or computer device at the electrical power outlet, the device is thereby connectable to another analogously-connected device. For instance, in a single construction, the power cables form a wired network to which devices are connectable.
While HOMEPLUG™ capable devices are presently available, many aspects of their construction and operation can be improved.
It is in light of this background information related to powerline-network-connectable devices that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.